The Devil and Mr. Masaki
by BGlanders
Summary: A devil comes to taunt Tenchi and the others...
1. Default Chapter Title

PROLOUGE…
    
     
    
    Blackness.It was a void deeper and darker than any that conventional space
    
    and time could provide.
    
     
    
    This however, was not conventional space and time.
    
     
    
    A figure appeared in the void.A woman clad in flowing robes and marked with
    
    green stripes on her face.Behind her, the shadows of others could be seen.
    
     
    
    Suddenly, the space before the woman lit up, revealing the images of what
    
    looked like a family.The images of five women and three men appeared.All
    
    were smiling and seemingly happy.The woman before the image frowned.
    
     
    
    "Come forth, Ronoken."The woman called out to the blackness.
    
     
    
    The image of the happy family vanished as a being appeared where the vision
    
    once stood.He was garbed completely in black robes.His pale skin resembled
    
    chalk and his eyes were as red as blood."You called, Lady Tokimi?"
    
     
    
    Tokimi looked to her servant."I have a task for you.This task is very
    
    important to me, so of course it will mean your life if you fail."
    
     
    
    "I never fail, my Lady."The man said as he bowed low.
    
     
    
    "A strong boast, Ronoken.Let us see if you can back your claims."
    
     
    
    The man bowed lower."Tell me what it is you wish of me, and it shall be
    
    done."
    
     
    
    Tokimi smiled.Ronoken's cocky and brazen attitude would have cost anyone
    
    else his or her life.However Tokimi knew of Ronoken's abilities and that he
    
    was not prone to empty claims.He was good at his job, otherwise he'd be dead
    
    or lobotomized by now.
    
     
    
    "I want you to travel to Earth.There you will find my sisters and the ones
    
    they live with."
    
     
    
    "You want I should kill them, my Lady?"
    
     
    
    Tokimi frowned."Don't be foolish!Their combined strength would be more
    
    than enough to destroy you if you tried anything as brazen as that!No, your
    
    task will be to fetch me an avatar."
    
     
    
    Ronoken looked up."An avatar, my Lady?"
    
     
    
    "Yes.The Masaki household is held together by love and trust.Your job will
    
    be to recruit one of them for me.I don't care which one.Once I have one
    
    under my control, it will set off a chain reaction of hate and mistrust that
    
    will bring their entire world crashing down.Eventually they will go their
    
    separate ways, leaving the universe unguarded!"
    
     
    
    "I understand, my Lady.But how shall I mask my presence from them?Powers
    
    or not, Washu's technology is advanced enough to detect me before I get within
    
    a thousand miles of the Masaki shrine."
    
     
    
    "Not to worry.My powers shall mask you.Go now, I shall be watching."With
    
    that, Tokimi vanished without a trace, as did the shadows behind her.
    
     
    
    Ronoken rose, and with a wave of his hand changed his black robes to a black
    
    Armani."This will be too easy.My Lady shall be pleased, so swears
    
    Ronoken!"
    
     
    
    ***
    
     
    
    BGlanders presents…
    
     
    
    The Devil and Mr. Masaki
    
     
    
    Chapter 1:
    
     
    
    The Man in Black
    
     
    
    ***
    
     
    
    All was quiet in the Masaki household.The clock on the microwave shined a
    
    ghostly yellow 1:30 into the blackness of the kitchen.Upstairs, the girls
    
    slept on their futons, dreaming away in their quiet little beds.Tenchi slept
    
    in his room as the gentle summer breezes crept in through his window.All was
    
    quiet in the house, and all was dark and peaceful.
    
     
    
    All that is, except for the pale glow coming from the family room.
    
     
    
    Nobuyuki sat in front of the TV staring but not really staring at the images
    
    before him.The TV showed the image of a young couple's wedding on a bright
    
    summer day.Many cherry faces were there, but they paled compared to the
    
    bride and groom's smiles.The camera then zoomed in on the young bride's
    
    face.A young, smiling angel filled the television's screen, her long black
    
    hair almost touching the carpet of green grass at her feet.Nobuyuki looked
    
    on as a tear formed in his eye."Achika.."
    
     
    
    Suddenly Nobuyuki heard a creak coming from behind the couch.He wiped his
    
    tear away and turned to find Washu standing behind him."Oh, good evening,
    
    Little Washu.I'm sorry if the television woke you, I should probably shut it
    
    down and get to bed myself."As he started to rise, Washu put her hand out
    
    and motioned for him to stop."That's all right, Nobuyuki, I shouldn't have
    
    snuck up on you."Nobuyuki shut the TV off and stood."Say, since we're both
    
    up, do you want to have some tea?I think Sasami left some in the fridge."
    
     
    
    Washu and Nobuyuki sat in the kitchen, sipping tea and enjoying the warm
    
    summer air wafting through the open front door."Ah, its so peaceful out here
    
    this time of night.It's kind of hard to believe that this place is a regular
    
    battlefield during the day."Washu nodded in agreement and sipped her tea.
    
    "Yes, when the girl's are asleep it's rather peaceful around here."Nobuyuki
    
    sighed."Yeah, almost too peaceful."Washu looked to Nobuyuki with a
    
    concerned look in her eyes.Nobuyuki took her hand and smiled.
    
     
    
    "Oh, I know what you're thinking.It's just that these summer nights remind
    
    me of her so very much.We used to go out to the lake, sit on the grass and
    
    dream about the rest of our lives.We'd stay out for hours just staring up at
    
    the moon and the stars…I remember those nights so clearly, it's like they
    
    only happened yesterday.I know she died a long time ago and yes I've moved
    
    on, but on nights like these, I find myself missing her more than ever."
    
     
    
    Washu smiled at the architect."You loved her a lot, didn't you?"Nobuyuki
    
    smiled and nodded."She was my life, my entire world.Then Tenchi was born
    
    and my world suddenly became so much bigger and brighter.We had so many
    
    plans, so many dreams…"
    
     
    
    Nobuyuki wiped away a tear and sipped his tea."Sasami does make some good
    
    tea."Washu wasn't thrown by the obvious attempt to change the subject.
    
    "Nobuyuki, listen to me.Your world is still here.You've got Tenchi and now
    
    a house full of people who depend on you and love you.We're all family now
    
    and nothing can change that.Do you think that we all haven't lost someone we
    
    love?A husband?A lover?A child?"Washu's voice began to crack as she
    
    forced the tears back into her skull."When we can take our losses and move
    
    forward, when we can look to tomorrow and find a reason to wake up in the
    
    morning, then we know that we're not alone.We know that the reason we want
    
    to live is because we still have people here that we care about."
    
     
    
    Nobuyuki smiled and looked down at his tea, then into Washu's eyes."Thank
    
    you, Little Washu.I needed that more than you know."He stood, put his cup
    
    in the sink and started to leave.At the door, he stopped and turned to
    
    Washu."If you ever feel like talking.."Washu smiled."You'll be the first
    
    person I look for."Nobuyuki returned the smile and headed for his room.As
    
    soon as he was gone, Washu put her head in her hands and sobbed until she ran
    
    out of tears.
    
     
    
    ***
    
     
    
    It was a beautiful morning as the sun shone on the Masaki fields.In the
    
    middle of the fields stood Tenchi, doing his daily chores of mending and
    
    tending the family garden.It was a hot, sticky, muggy and all around
    
    miserable job, but Tenchi didn't really mind.He had always figured his
    
    chores in the fields were either to focus his mind and body and master
    
    patience or some sick practical joke by his Grandfather.He had always tried
    
    to tell himself that it was the former and nothing more, but on days like this
    
    Tenchi began to question the latter.
    
     
    
    "Need a break?"A voice asked from behind.Tenchi whirled around, his hoe in
    
    a defensive position in front of him.Before him stood a pale man dressed in
    
    a black business suit holding a cup of clear, inviting liquid.Tenchi's eyes
    
    turned to the icy cool glass of water the stranger now held out."Here, have
    
    some.You look like you could use it."Tenchi eyed the stranger for a
    
    moment, then shook his head."No thanks, I've got some water right here."He
    
    tapped the hot, tiny flask that lay beside the bucket of sticky weeds he had
    
    been pulling for the past two hours.
    
     
    
    "Ah, I see.Well then take a break anyway."The pale man then drank up every
    
    last icy cool drop of fluid as Tenchi's mouth started to water."Uh, say, who
    
    are you?Are you here to see Grandpa?"Tenchi lowered his hoe but still
    
    clutched it, just in case."In time, my boy, in time.Right now I'm here to
    
    see you."
    
     
    
    "Me?What do you need to see me for?"The man before Tenchi sat down on the
    
    dirt and set his glass to the side."Because I've watched you Tenchi.I
    
    watched when your mother died. I watched when they put your grandmother in the
    
    ground.I watched as you were denied a normal life by forces out of your
    
    control.I've watched all this and so much more.I've seen all the torment
    
    you've had to go through, and now I'm here to give you a reward, my little
    
    crown prince of Jurai."
    
     
    
    Tenchi staggered at the man's words.He fell to the ground, catching himself
    
    on his hoe."How.. how did you know all that?"The man smiled."I'm sorry,
    
    where are my manners?My name is Mr. Monis.I'm very pleased to meet you Mr.
    
    Masaki."The man in black extended his right hand.Tenchi, still in a
    
    partial daze, shook it.
    
     
    
    "Now that we're intimate friends, let's get down to brass tacks, as it were."
    
    Mr. Monis cracked his knuckles."Tenchi, I'm here to offer you something very
    
    special.I'm here to offer you a wish.Any wish you can possibly think of I
    
    can supply with a snap of my fingers.I give you this only because I know
    
    what you've gone through and that even you deserve some ray of happiness in
    
    your life."
    
     
    
    Tenchi sat back and thought about it.A wish?Any wish?What does one wish
    
    for?In all of reality, what could one really wish for?A million things
    
    raced through Tenchi's mind.Through them all, one word raced to the top.
    
     
    
    Mother.
    
     
    
    The image of the Lady Achika appeared in his mind.Her smiling face and shiny
    
    eyes became as clear as crystal.He could still hear her voice, feel her
    
    touch against his skin…
    
     
    
    "Tenchi."A voice cut through the illusion.Tenchi suddenly snapped awake.
    
    He hadn't just thought about his mother, he had actually seen her before him.
    
    Now all he saw was Mr. Monis sitting inches away from his face."I can bring
    
    her back to you, and all you have to do is say yes.Say yes, Tenchi, and all
    
    your wildest dreams will come true."Tenchi started to open his mouth.His
    
    lips started to form the word 'yes'.
    
     
    
    Then he stopped.
    
     
    
    Tenchi suddenly remembered a practice session with his grandfather many years
    
    ago…
    
     
    
    ***
    
     
    
    "Tenchi, keep your eyes focused on me!How do you expect to survive if you
    
    can't even watch who you're sparring with?"
    
     
    
    Tenchi was rubbing his head from where Grandpa's practice sword had hit him.
    
    Yosho stood with his arms crossed waiting for his grandson to recover from his
    
    well-placed blow.Tenchi then threw his sword on the ground and sat pouting.
    
     
    
    "Tenchi, why have you dropped your sword?Do you think practice is over?"
    
    Tenchi didn't answer, he just kept boring his eyes into the ground with a
    
    scowl on his face.
    
     
    
    Yosho sighed and set his own sword on the ground.He walked over to Tenchi
    
    and sat by his side."It's about mother, isn't it?"
    
     
    
    Tenchi just continued to stare straight ahead.Yosho knew instantly that
    
    Achika's death was still gnawing on Tenchi's soul even after two years, he
    
    still didn't understand why his mom had gone away and never came back.Yosho
    
    put his arm around Tenchi's shoulder.
    
     
    
    "Tenchi," Yosho's voice was now soft and soothing."I know that your mother
    
    died very suddenly and that it hurt you very much.It hurt your father and I
    
    as well, but she's gone now and all the tears we shed won't bring her back."
    
     
    
    Tenchi pounded his tiny fist into the dirt."It's not fair!She wasn't
    
    supposed to die!She was always supposed to be around forever!"Tenchi was
    
    now sobbing and shaking."If she really loved us, she wouldn't have died in
    
    the first place!"
    
     
    
    Yosho hugged his grandson tight and rocked him back and forth."Now Tenchi,
    
    sometimes things like this happen.No one knows why they do, and no one
    
    thinks they're fair, but they do happen.We can cry and pout about it for the
    
    rest of our lives, or we can draw strength from it and try to move on."
    
     
    
    "How am I supposed to do that?And why?Why does it have to be like that?
    
    It's just not fair!"
    
     
    
    "Shh, Tenchi.You're right.It's not fair and it's not easy.It's probably
    
    the most horrible thing a child can go through in life.I'm sorry that you
    
    had to loose her, and I miss her every day, but your mother didn't choose to
    
    go.She was very ill, Tenchi.She loved you very much and would have done
    
    everything in her power to stay with you, but her body was just too weak to
    
    hold all the love she had inside of her.Tenchi she loved you more than life
    
    itself and would have done everything she could have to make you happy."
    
     
    
    Tenchi's sobbing had slowed and now he was mostly sniffling and leaning
    
    against Yosho for support.Yosho continued to cradle his grandson.
    
    "Grandpa?"
    
     
    
    "Yes Tenchi?"
    
     
    
    "Where do you think mom is right now?"
    
     
    
    "I think she's watching over us right now."
    
     
    
    Tenchi's eyes brightened."You do?"
    
     
    
    Yosho smiled and nodded."Yep.In fact, I know she is.And I know she
    
    wouldn't want you to be sad about her passing.I know that she would want you
    
    to move on with your life and get the most out of it."
    
     
    
    "But grandpa, I don't want to forget mom…"
    
     
    
    "Tenchi," Yosho smiled again at his only grandchild, "Moving past someone's
    
    death doesn't mean you forget about them, it simply means you still try to
    
    enjoy life, because that's what the departed would want most from us."
    
     
    
    Tenchi smiled then and hugged Yosho."Thanks grandpa."Yosho grinned and
    
    hugged his grandson back."Any time Tenchi.Now let's head back to the house
    
    and get some lunch."
    
     
    
    "But what about practice?"
    
     
    
    Yosho picked his grandson up and but him on his shoulders."I think we've
    
    learned enough for one day.Come on, let's get something to eat, I'm
    
    starving!"
    
     
    
    ***
    
     
    
    "I'm sorry, Mr. Monis, but what I want you just can't give me.I've learned
    
    to accept my mother's passing and to get on with my life.I still miss her,
    
    but I'm not about to change my whole world for a wish."
    
     
    
    Monis lost his smile as what Tenchi said sunk in."You don't have to wish for
    
    you mother.Why, you could wish for just about anything…"
    
     
    
    "No!"Tenchi leapt to his feet."Grandfather taught me that everything comes
    
    at a price!What you have to give is a fantasy, an illusion that I don't
    
    want!Get away from me demon!"
    
     
    
    Mr. Monis stood, brushing the dirt from his black Armani."Very well, Mr.
    
    Masaki.I'm sorry to have disturbed your little weeding job.I'll be going
    
    now.You just stay here in your field of dirt and tend your little carrots.
    
    I could've given you the world today, Tenchi Masaki.All you had to do was
    
    say 'yes'."
    
     
    
    In a flash of light and a whirlwind of sound, Mr. Monis vanished as suddenly
    
    as he had appeared, leaving Tenchi standing in the dirt, shaking and sobbing
    
    in fury and despair.
    
     
    
    "It's not fair, it's not…"
    
     
    
    With that, Tenchi dropped to his knees and passed out.
    
     
    
    ***
    
     
    
    The man in black floated in orbit as a voice called to him from across the
    
    void, tossing all known physics about sound in a vacuum right down the shoot.
    
     
    
    "Ronoken, you have failed me."
    
     
    
    "Nay, my Lady," the man in black said, "That was merely a warm-up.I figured
    
    if I could push him that close to the edge, the others should fall like a
    
    house of cards.Have faith in me, my Lady.I shall not fail you."
    
     
    
    "See that you don't, Ronoken, or I shall disperse your atoms to the four
    
    winds."With that, the presence vanished from the man in black's mind.
    
     
    
    "As you wish, my Lady," He mumbled as he turned his attention to his next
    
    target in the Masaki household.
    
     
    
    ***
    
     
    
    Notes…
    
    This fic has been going on neigh two years now, and IMO is not one of my better tangents.For those that know the story and have been waiting, yes, part four is coming soon.For those that are new, the style changes notably over the next two chapters, reflecting the amount of experience I've gained.And for Christine Case and Lawrence Lo, or those two miserable little twerps who took my stuff without asking and MSTed it, as I like to think of them, I've never seen Red Dwarf.I don't even know what the hell its about and I certainly didn't base any characters off of it.There are only two things that make me an angry internet persona, and those are stealing my work and accusing me of theft.
    
     
    
    Aside from all that angst… if you feel you must, A MSTing of my work is fine, provided you get permission to use my material.Other than that, it's just bad form.
    
     
    
    Tenchi and Co belong to AiC and Pioneer
    
     
    
    All C&C Should head towards BGlanders@aol.com


	2. Default Chapter Title

Power.

When one is mortal, that is the ultimate goal in life.For thousands of

years, men have lived and died only to achieve this one, incomplete vision.

The question humans always ask is "How do I get Power?"They never ask, "What

exactly is Power?"

That is the greatest overlooked secret of the human race.Power is nothing

without purpose, without direction.When it comes right down to it, Power

itself is not the end, just the ends to a mean.Without a purpose for

possessing Power, any human to wield it raw and unadulterated would be as a

child with a loaded gun.

For some beings, however, Power is a tool.It is not some special magic that

can solve any and all problems, oh no.There's always a catch, always a

problem.The worst part about it is, the more Power you wield, the higher the

loopholes involved are.

For the being Ronoken, the catch can best be described as annoying.

Here is a being with unlimited power, a being with the ability to level

planets and destroy stars, but is restricted to operating strictly by the

barter system.For him to have any power over a creature, her must first

offer something in return.If a being accepts, then it in effect gives up its

soul as payment.This is the secret, and the crutch, of the Ronoken's power.

Know this, that any who do deal with him do so at their own peril, for the

Ronoken never works for his own motives, but is always serving some higher

being.Therefore, when one deals with the Ronoken, they are truly dealing

with something beyond their comprehension.

***

Things were starting to look dim.

Tenchi should have cracked.Never had a living soul EVER been able to resist

the temptations of the Ronoken.NEVER!It was unheard of!It was

unbelievable!

It was a momentary setback.

"Damn that boy!My power was at its peak!He should have given in!All I

wanted in return was a simple yes, and he would have had his dream come true!

This is not a contingency that I had planned upon."

Ronoken stood in low earth orbit, debating his next course of action.The boy

had been a mistake. He knew that now.He should have gone for the most

obvious choice of temptation first, the choice that had never failed him

before.He was falling out of favor with Tokimi, and in his line of work,

pissing off your employer was NOT the wisest thing to do.

"The boy was a mistake, I see that now.So, let's see who's next, shall we?"

Ronoken straightened his silk tie as a vision appeared before him, the vision

of a young girl with long blue hair and bright, shiny pink eyes.

"God bless the child, indeed…"

***

BGlanders presents…

The Devil and Mr. Masaki

Chapter Two: How the Hell Did You Get So Small?

***

"What the hell?!"

These words echoed through the sub space lab of Washu, the greatest scientific

genius in the universe.The red haired wonder was in front of her computer

counsel crunching numbers for her latest theory on trans-dimensional wormholes

when a little red light started blinking on her 'oh-damn-a-meter'.

"Oh damn.Not good, not good at all…"

Within seconds, twenty different screens appeared before Washu.Each of these

screens showed charts, patterns, fluctuations and row after row of numbers.

To any earthling, these images would have made no sense whatsoever.

For Washu, however, these screens told a slightly different story.

As Washu continued to work, sweat started to bead on her brow, and a dim light

of panic appeared in her eyes.

It was going to be a bad day.

***

It's gonna be a good day.

That was the main thought running through Sasami's head as she stood before

the kitchen window, washing the dishes from breakfast.The sunlight streaming

through the pane of glass made dancing images of light play across her face

and hands.The warm breeze from the open door behind her made her feel

relaxed and calm, and very content.

"I hope Tenchi gets home soon, otherwise he's gonna spend the whole day out in

that dumb old field and miss the lunch I'm making."

Sasami knew that working in the fields was Tenchi's duty, but that didn't mean

she liked it.She would have much rather preferred to have Tenchi back at the

house, spending time with her and the others.She liked Tenchi, but she knew

that she didn't stand a chance against her sister or Ryoko.Still, she didn't

mind dreaming...

Sasami was still daydreaming when a flash of light from the window caused her

to drop the plate she was holding.Just before it hit the ground, a small

pale hand caught it.

"Oh!"Sasami gasped as she saw the stranger beside her.He was about her

height, with pale skin and short black hair. He was dressed in a black suit

and seemed very thin."Hi," he said as Sasami stumbled away from him, "My

name's Monis.What's yours?"

Sasami paused and eyed the newcomer for a moment.He seemed a nice enough

boy, with a warm smile and soft brown eyes."My name's Sasami.How did you

get in here Monis?"

Monis pointed at the open door."Through there.I'm sorry, if I'm not

welcome, I can go..."

Sasami shook her head and smiled."No, that's all right.You just startled

me, that's all.Would you like to help me do the dishes?"

Monis took a look at Sasami, then at the sink.'Well, if it means getting her

as an avatar, then why not?'

***

"So you're here to see grandpa?"

The dishes were almost done. Sasami was washing while Monis had taken his suit

coat off and was doing a fairly decent job of drying.

"Well kinda... I was on my way to the Shrine and I got kinda lost.I didn't

mean to scare you before, I was just looking for someone who could tell me

where I was."

Sasami giggled and picked up another plate."Well, this is our home.The

shrine is up the hill.There's a set of steps leading the way."

"Thank you, Sasami.I guess I'm not too good when it comes to finding

things."Monis reached over to get the plate Sasami was holding and

accidently brushed against her hand.Monis suddenly froze at the contact, not

knowing why he was suddenly feeling the way he was.

'What's going on here?Why do I suddenly feel this...this rush of emotion?

And why haven't I started with my sales pitch yet?I should be done by now,

and instead I'm drying dishes and ranting on and on and...'

Sasami lightly blushed as Monis was still frozen in contact with Sasami's

hand.He suddenly caught himself and pulled away franticly while she lightly

giggled."Hey are you okay Monis?You were kinda spaced out there for a

second."

'And she has the most beautiful pink eyes...'

"Umm..I..uh.. I was just thinking about..well.."

"About someone you love?"

Monis's head snapped up to see Sasami staring out the window with a dreamy

look on her face."You said you came here to see grandpa.Why?"

Monis gulped and raced for an explanation as to why a 10-year-old boy would

visit a Shinto priest in the middle of nowhere.

"Well, you see, I came to pay respects...to my family, you see..and.."

Sasami's face suddenly took on a look of concern."I'm sorry..I didn't know

your family was...I'm sorry Monis.I shouldn't have been so nosey."

'She's so thoughtful.No mortal has ever been this concerned about my

feelings before.No one's ever... asked me about them.'

"It's all right, Sasami.You didn't know.Say, when I was talking, you were

thinking about somebody.Tell me, who was it?"

'That's right.Do your job.Find out what she wants, then do the exchange

and give Tokimi what she wants.Then you can just leave this place and these

people who have thwarted you.You!You're supposed to be a damn

professional, so act like one!'

'But she's so young and innocent.So caring..so unlike me...'

Sasami blushed and turned away."Well, he's just a friend.I know nothing

will ever happen, but it's nice to daydream..."Her eyes once again turned to

the window and a smile crept across her face.Monis just continued to stare

at her.The way the sunlight accented her features, the way her eyes seemed

to sparkle, she was... she was...

'NO!Damnit I'm here to do a job and I'm going to do it!I'm not going to be

distracted by this...'

"Hey Monis, you wanna take a walk?"Sasami hopped away from the sink and took

Monis by the hand.Monis grinned and nodded while grabbing his suit coat

jacket.Sasami giggled and led the way outside.

'...by this wonderful little mortal...'

***

Washu continued to scan her readings, checking probe results one after

another.The information her super computer was giving her was not what she

had hoped for.

"This can't be!These readings can only be caused by a high level dimension

reaction, and those can only be caused by a very select few beings..."

Washu continued to crunch numbers, trying to pin point the identity of the

multiverse culprit.She currently knew of only one definite being that could

create such a disturbance; Tsunami.However, as Tsunami usually didn't make

her presence known, Washu ruled her out.Besides, these readings didn't match

Tsunami's energy patterns.

"According to this, the being causing the reactions isn't...waitaminute.I'm

reading...yes!Another force blanketing the first one!That's why I didn't

pick it up before!There are strange doings afoot here..."

Washu continued to engross herself in her work, not paying attention to the

monitors behind her, the one's showing the Masaki household.She didn't see

as a tall, gaunt being had appeared out of thin air right behind Sasami, then

shrank himself down to the child's size.She didn't see Sasami doing dishes

and talking with the apparition that had appeared moments before, and she

didn't even notice when Sasami left with the very creature Washu was trying to

pin point.

Kinda funny how things can happen that way.

***

It really was a beautiful day.

The air was warm, but not humid or hot, and a gentle breeze could be felt

drifting across the cool green grass.The clouds overhead lazily sauntered

along on their paths to nowhere in particular and the song of a bird could be

heard on the wind.

Of course, Tenchi Masaki didn't care a bit about any of this.

The first thing he saw wasn't the blue sky or the green grass, but rather

dirt, and lots of it.He found himself lying face down in the middle of the

carrot fields he had been tending.

"What..happened?How'd I end up like this?"

He slowly gathered his wits, then tried to push himself up.

Then fell back down as a semi-truck smashed his skull.

The pain in Tenchi's head was unbelievable, like a thousand knives were

driving straight into his temple.Like a jackhammer was pounding into his

temple again and again and again and...

"So I guess this is what Ryoko feels like after drinking..."

Tenchi took a deep breath and then, with a force of sheer will, managed to

stand up.As Tenchi fought off the urge to pass out, he shook out the cobwebs

in his head and tried to remember what exactly had happened.

"I was working and then...something happened...but what?I...I don't remember

anything but..something about a man in a suit..."

Tenchi shook his head again and took a swig from his canteen.The water

tasted hot and stung his tongue.He cringed, but managed to drain his flask.

"Water...I remember something about water... It must have been heat stroke.

Yeah, that's it!I was working too hard and I passed out.Well, I am pretty

much done with the field anyways, so I might as well head home."

Tenchi proceeded to gather his belongings and started heading back to the

house, thinking the afternoon's transpirings nothing more than delusions

brought on by heat stroke.

***

"MISS RYOKO!I WILL MOST CERTAINLY NOT HAVE SEX ON THE BEACH!"

It was your typical pub setting, with dimly lit booths, dirty floors, and

stools lining a counter topped with smoked glass.What made this bar so un-

typical were the two patrons at the counter.The first was dressed in tight

jean shorts with a short red tank top.The other was wearing her

stereotypical pink and purple kimono.

"Calm down, Aeka.It's a drink, not an offer.Geez, you're so uptight!Come

on, lighten up!"

Aeka paused, mentally weighing the truth to Ryoko's words, as the barkeep

brought her a drink.Hesitantly, she took a sip, then proceeded to down the

rest of the beverage.

It had been Ryoko's idea to come into town.Things had been quiet lately, and

Tenchi's birthday was coming up, so Ryoko decided to pick him up a little

'something special'.Her first idea for a birthday gift had been, well, let's

just say it involved candles and wax, and wasn't a cake.So to keep Aeka from

going off the handle, Ryoko had agreed to buy a gift with Aeka.That way

neither one of them could get mad at the other's decision.

After three hours of arguing and one near meltdown over what to buy, Ryoko

decided that a break was in order.So after a bit of prodding and an offer to

pay, Ryoko finally managed to steer Aeka into the local tavern.

"Well Miss Ryoko, I must say that this was one of your better ideas…now you're

sure that you can pick up the tab?I don't feel like being ditched with the

bill AGAIN, if you don't mind."

"Hey Aeka, chill out.I said I'd pick up the check and I meant it.Now drink

up!"Ryoko downed another Sake cup as Aeka continued to enjoy her 'Sex'. "So

Aeka, what should we get him, anyway?I mean, if it were up to me, I'd give

him a present that would make this birthday especially happy."

"And that is exactly the reason I'm here with you, Miss Ryoko!I'm not just

going to sit around and let you pervert my Tenchi on his birthday!"Aeka

downed another drink as Ryoko started to chuckle.

"Don't sweat it.Remember, we both agreed to this so that we could be sure

Tenchi got something from the both of us, and so I could make sure you

wouldn't pull any funny business, Aeka."

"I know I agreed to it, but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with the idea."

"And you think I am?Do you honestly believe that I wanted to spend my

afternoon in the company of her Majesty?No!I could be at home right now,

cuddling with my Tenchi, but no, I'm here with you, fighting about a stupid

gift!"Ryoko downed another Sake cup and sighed.This really wasn't her idea

of a good time.In fact, spending this much time together would have ranked

quite high on Ryoko and Aeka's list of personal hells had it not been for the

alcohol.

"Look, let's just try and get along, just this once, for Tenchi's sake."Aeka

paused and considered Ryoko's words then decided that for today, she could

handle a little torture if it meant the happiness of Lord Tenchi.Besides, it

wasn't like she had to share him with Ryoko in everything, was it?

"Very well Ryoko, for today, I'll try not to fight with you, but if you even

try to start anything, so help me I'll…"

Ryoko set her Sake cup on the counter and looked Aeka dead in the eye."I

promise I won't start any fights today.Is that good enough for you Aeka?"

Aeka nodded, and the two clasped hands to shake on it.Two minutes of

squeezing later, they let go.

***

"So Sasami, you wanna play a game?"

Sasami and her new friend were at the base of the Shrine stairs.They had

walked out to the lake and watched the Funaho sway in the summer breeze, then

wandered until arriving at the base of the Shrine hill.

"Sure Monis, what do you wanna play?"

Monis paused and did his best to keep his eyes on the stairs ahead of him.

"Well, let's play a wishing game.If you could have anything in the world you

wanted, anything at all, what would you want?"

Sasami and Monis started up the base of the shrine stairs, Sasami enjoying the

scenery while Monis, now sweating, kept his eyes glued to the stairs ahead of

him.

"Anything I want?Well gee, Monis, I don't know what I'd want.I mean, I

laready have everything I could ask for right here, but I guess if I had to

wish for something, I'd wish…"

"Yes?"Monis was now wrining his hands behind his back in anticipation.This

was it, it had to be!She would wish and then his job would be done!

"I'd wish for you to stay here and be my friend."

Monis, who had until this point been on the preverbal edge of his seat, did

the only thing he could.

He face faulted and tripped down the stairs.

At the bottom, the well-dressed child was rubbing his head and trying to pick

himself up off the ground.

"This could be a problem…"

*****

Notes:

Just to answer the question once and for all… yes, the Gentle Sound of Thunder is DONE.Chapter 7 was the last chapter in the story… however, there is more.I wrote a prequel about a year ago, and will post it soon.^^

Tenchi and Co. belong to AiC and Pioneer

All C&C to BGlanders@aol.com


	3. Default Chapter Title

For countless millennia the beings of the Multiverse have undergone a constant struggle for dominance over one another, each being representing an extreme of the cosmic balance.As long as these forces remain in conflict, the balance of the universe is maintained.

While conflicts are quite common, it is very rare for two cosmic beings to directly confront one another, regardless of the situation.The risk of overturning the balance is too great to risk, and there are other factors to consider as well.

Such is the reason the Avatars were created.

Each Avatar was designed as a tool, one that could adapt itself to its job to the best of its abilities, all the while observing the one prime cosmic law:No being of the Multiverse is to directly confront another being of the Multiverse.Each Avatar is unique, given special powers and abilities so as to each perform a different task.

However, just because an Avatar was constructed for a job, that doesn't always mean it can carry it out.

*** 

Peel peel peel.

Cut cut cut.

Wash wash wash.

It was a beautiful, if not hot, day at the Masaki household as Sasami Jurai, princess of the Jurain Empire and physical half of the goddess Tsunami was happily peeling carrots over the kitchen sink.

To her left stood a little boy about her height, who at the moment was not as happy as his blue haired counterpart.

His coat was now draped over a nearby chair to save it from getting messed, and his sleeves were starting to conspire against him as they continuously unraveled just as he went to wash another carrot.

Sasami giggled as the Ronoken's shirtsleeve once again sacrificed itself into the spray from the faucet."Gee Monis, you're really getting wet over there!Are you sure you don't mind helping me with this?"

The pale little boy shook his head and smiled so big he could feel his face about to crack open."Oh I'm fine, Sasami.I'm just having fun helping you."

As the two continued to prepare dinner, one constant thought reverberated through the lesser demon's head.

'I'm in hell.'

*** 

BGlanders presents…

The Devil and Mr. Masaki

Chapter Three:Give Me My Regret

*** 

It was about four in the afternoon, and after prepping dinner, cleaning the kitchen and straightening up the house, Sasami had decided that enough was enough, and that she and her newfound friend should go do something fun.

Like play video games.

"Wow Monis, you're really good at this!Aeka usually doesn't like me playing these too often.She says they're way too violent for a princess, so I play them when she's not around."

"Is that so?"The Ronoken continued to dance his fingers across the mad jumble of buttons and directional pads that covered the Washu-ized N 64 controller in his hand.He wasn't sure what he was doing exactly, but he was pretty sure that he was getting his butt kicked in something his playmate called 'Mario Kart'.

'I've got to find a way to… Damn, went into the lava.Come on you turtle freak, pull me out! …Got to find a way to get away from her without breaking her wish.But how?Hmmm… The blue haired one is in first.Damn.'

It was at that moment that the Ronoken noticed Sasami constantly looking over her shoulder at the rest of the living room.Curious, he decided to find out what was up."Hey, the game is in front of you, you know."

Sasami lightly blushed in embarrassment and apologized."Sorry, I was just wondering where Tenchi is.He's usually back from the fields by now and I guess I just got a little worried."

'If the boy returns while I'm still here, then it's game over for me.Damn it all, there just has to be a way for me to escape her for just a little while, if nothing else…Wait, of course!Why didn't I think of this before?Oy, Ronoken no baka…'

"Ahh, I see.Well, don't worry Sasami.Tenchi is just fine right now, I'm sure of it."Monis/Ronoken/Destroyer of souls looked at Sasami for a moment, and then put his hand on her cheek.Sasami answered by blushing a deep red.

'Now's as good a time as any.'

"Um, Monis?What are you doing?"Sasami tensed as Monis brought his face close to hers.Monis hesitated, met her gaze for a moment, and then proceeded to kiss the young princess on the forehead.

"Removing you."

Sasami dropped like a pile of bricks to the floor as Ronoken turned his attention towards the closet door below the stairs.

"Now that the mortal is out of the way I can…"

"What do you think you're doing?"

Ronoken turned around.After pausing for several second in pure shock, he coughed and did his best to not act like he was severely screwed.

On the TV screen where the video game had been a moment before, the image of Tsunami now shone.

"Oh… Um, hello melady.And how are you this fine afternoon?"

The image of Tsunami locked eyes with the demon as the screen started to glow brighter than a television screen normally would."How dare you incapacitate this child for your own selfish needs.You shall pay for this, jinn.You know you are forbidden to harm any beings of the Multiverse!"

'What?What the hell is this blue haired tree talking about?I haven't even TOUCHED any beings of the Multiverse! I…I have done no such…umm…'

Monis looked towards the young girl that was passed out on the floor.

The young girl with blue hair.

'I am severely screwed.'

After straightening his tie and developing a thin bead of sweat across his brow, the Ronoken took a deep breath, swallowed, and put on what he liked to call his 'Daniel Webster' face.

"Melady, first off I had no knowledge whatsoever that this child was of the Mulitverse…"

"She's more than just that, demon!She's my counterpart!"

'Oh yeah, I'm screwed.'

The Ronoken chuckled for several seconds, then coughed for a bit."forgive my ignorance, melady, but she was so well cloaked by you that I detected nothing to warrant staying away, however technically she's not hurt, she's just asleep.And besides, I didn't want to… well…

"Well what?"

"I didn't want to worry the poor child, so I decided to put her under while I did my work."

Tsunami paused, considering the words of the demons.

"…You realize what will happen to you if you dare to hurt her, jinn?"

The Ronoken nodded to the tube."Yes, melady.I know all too well.My business here doesn't concern this one in the slightest, but to ease your fears I pledge to thee a vow."

"A vow?Speak demon, this intrigues me."

Ronoken paused for a moment, taking a second to glance at the sleeping princess on the floor.Then, after turning his attention back to the TV, he put his hand over the place on his chest that a human's heart would normally be found.

"I vow to you that by my Father's name, this little one will not be harmed."  
  


Tsunami glared for several seconds at the demon, searching its face for any sign of falseness or betrayal.

"Very well, jinn.As long as Sasami is not involved, I have no power over your actions here, no matter what they might mean for me."

"Why your majesty, would you imply that I would…"

"I know why you're here, demon!Don't you dare to play innocent with me, but as I have said, I cannot directly interfere in this matter as long as the rules remain unbroken.Now, leave us.My Sasami will sleep until you have gone."

Turning his back on the blue-haired women, the demon once again headed for the closet under the stairs, mumbling all the while.

"Damn.Damn damn damn.One pissed off goddess is bad enough, but two?This is starting to really get on my nerves.Ahh well, on to the redhead."

*** 

Professor Washu, the most scientifically brilliant and arguably one of the most kawaii beings in the known universe, gave a tired sigh as she slumped back in her floating futon.She had been working for several hours to determine the source of the space-time disturbance she had detected earlier, and after running several thousand tests and comparisons, she had finally reached a decision.

"This is impossible!Whatever this thing is, it doesn't want to be found out, that's for sure!"

The red haired genius sank back into her chair as exhaustion started to creep across her face.She was still semi-human after all, and after pulling several all nighters a puzzle like this was the last thing she needed.As much as she wanted to keep devoting her energies to this new problem before her, she regretfully started to admit that said energies were at the moment, non-existent.With one last scan of her control panel, she blinked once, twice, then proceeded to pass out.The lights of her lab slowly dimmed out one by one, giving their master a chance to rest peacefully.

*** 

"Huh?Wuzzat?"

Washu awoke with a start.She knew she had been dreaming, and that those dreams had been laced with nightmares, but Washu had long since learned to deal with those.At the moment, every major light in her subspace laboratory was turned off.Washu liked it like this; the familiar blinking of countless buttons, gauges and readouts had been a source of soft, quiet comfort to the scientist for countless years.

As Washu sat back in her floating futon, she took time to quietly enjoy the soft, familiar darkness.This was her lab, her sanctuary.It was her one and only hiding place from the rest of the world, the place where she felt safe.The place where she…

"Mama"

Washu jerked forward.After giving a mental command to her lab for the lights to come on, she felt a thin layer of sweat form across her forehead.After several seconds, Washu's eyes went wide with the realization that the lights still hadn't come on yet.

And something was inside the lab.

"Lights.Lights!Damnit, lights!Why the hell isn't this working?I… I…"

Washu froze, her hands were raised to meet her holo-top, but for the first time since she could remember her personal computer wasn't responding.

And something was inside the lab.

"Okay, this is getting weird.Since when does my lab decide not to respond to it's master?Damn, I bet Mihoshi came in here and messed something up, and of course the patended mihoshi-seeking lazers and random deadfalls couldn't stop her.Ahh well…

"Maybe something escaped?Or maybe… Ryo-Ohki?Is that you?Why aren't you bothering Sasami or…"

"Mama"

Washu froze. The first time she had heard it, she wasn't sure, but the second time there was no doubt.

Something was inside the lab.

And that something wasn't Ryo-Ohki.

In the center of the lab, about a good ten meters from where Washu sat, a single cone of light appeared, illuminating a tiny white bundle of rags on the lab floor.

Slowly, the scientist rose from her chair.After taking several breaths to calm her, Washu slowly started to walk towards the small pile of cloth.With each step, it seemed as if the lab were getting darker, as if the blackness itself were somehow becoming even blacker.Washu shook her head several times, trying to rid herself of a growing noise- a pounding in her ears.Only when she stopped to calm herself did she realize that the pounding was that of her own heart.

"Mama"

As Washu reached the bundle on the floor, she noticed that part of it seemed to be seeping something, something thick, dark and red.As she started to reach for the small pile before her, she snapped back and suppressed a scream of shock and surprise.

The bundle was moving.

As she watched, tears began to well up in Washu's eyes.She was slowly backing away, now shaking her head, mouthing a silent 'no' as the bundle slowly moved across the floor.This was too much like her nightmares, the ones that came to her when she felt lonely, frightened or hurt.For twenty thousand years the nightmares had haunted her, ripped her sanity to its seams with their frightening repetition and clarity, and now, after all this time the bundle, the thing from her dream was here, on the laboratory floor.

As if she were in a dream, Washu shakily reached down to the bundle, all the while her tears streaming down her cheeks.Washu watched her hand drift towards the tiny bloody bundle as if she were no loner in control, a passenger in her own body.She watched as her hand gripped the tiny cloth and pulled it back, revealing what was inside.

"Mama"

It was then that Washu screamed.And screamed.And screamed.

*** 

Peel peel peel.

Cut cut cut.

Wash wash wash.

"Hi Sasami!Man is it hot outside…"

Tenchi Masaki, future Jurain emperor and gardener extraordinaire, shuffled into the kitchen of the Masaki household, sweating like a pig and rubbing the back of his head.Without paying any real attention to the young princess at the counter, he made a beeline for the sink.Within a minute, he had consumed an amount of water that probably could have watered most rice fields.Once he felt somewhat rehydrated, he gave a three second pause, remembering what tended to happen when a seriously dehydrated person suddenly consumed too much water.

"Erugh!"

Whether it was due to his incredible amount of Jurain power or years of martial arts training, Tenchi thanked his lucky stars that he had the endurance to make it to the ground level bathroom on time.

*** 

Peel peel peel.

Cut cut cut.

Wash wash wash.

"Hi Sasami… man was it hot outside…"

Tenchi Masaki, future Jurain emperor and now somewhat physically drained gardener extraordinaire emerged from the ground floor lavatory, still feeling somewhat sick and now thoroughly exhausted.Sighing, he shuffled into the kitchen, coming to rest at the kitchen table.It was only then he noticed that Sasami hadn't moved.

"So how was your day, Sasami?"

Cut cut cut.

"Sasami?"

Peel peel peel.

"Umm… Sasami?"

Wash wash wash.

"Hello?"

Tap tap tap.

"OH!"

Sasami nearly jumped a mile when Tenchi tapped her on the shoulder.After getting her bearings, Sasami nodded and tried her best to compose herself.

"Sorry Tenchi, I guess I was daydreaming…"

Tenchi gestured to the pile of near mush that at one time had been a carrot."Yeah I guess.What's on your mind, Sasami?"

Sasami sighed and took a seat at the kitchen table.After briefly rooting through the fridge, Tenchi found some edibles and joined the young princess."Yen for your thoughts."

"…Tenchi, have you ever had a dream that was so real you thought that it was? "

Tenchi's face took on concern."Sasami, what's the matter?Did you take a nap and have a nightmare?What's wrong?"

Sasami sat staring at the table for awhile, trying to come up with the right words to describe what had happened.After trying to sum it up in her head, she decided to just sum it up and skip the details.

After all, it was only a dream.

*** 

"No no no no no…"

Washu, now curled into a ball in the corner of her lab, lay crying hysterically, babbling to herself while keeping an unbelieving eye on the gooey red bundle not three meters from where she lay.As the thing inside the sheets slowly crawled in what seemed like a blind circle, a shadow in the background started to stir.

"Mama"

"No.. No you can't be no you're not no no just leave me alone please oh god please just leave me alone…"

Washu shut her eyes tight, shaking her head while yelling at the tiny red-soaked thing.Once again the shadows behind it stirred, and this time gave way to a medium sized gentleman in a black suit.

"There there now, my dear professor.Is that any way to talk to a child?"

The suited man, starkly pale for such a dim light set, bent down and retrieved the red mess of rags and flesh on the floor.After getting a good hold on it, he affectionately rocked the tiny bundle, like a father rocking a newborn.

"Who… who are you?What do you want?"

Washu started to gather her wits about her.The initial shock of what she had seen was starting to fade, and sheer anger was taking its place.With the force of sheer will, she stood and faced the newest intruder to her sanctuary.After cooing to the thing in his arms, the man looked towards Washu and smiled, taking a step closer to the scientist.

"I'm sorry.Here, would you like to hold him?"

"Get that thing away from me!Who the hell are you?!"

The Ronoken chuckled, then tossed the bundle at Washu.

"Here, catch!"

Washu screamed and dodged the soaked clump of rags, which seemed to dissolve in mid air moments before touching the ground.Washu, now madder than ever, started to advance on her unwelcome guest.

"Just who the hell do you think you are, you son of a…"

"How would you like your son back, little Washu?"

Washu froze in her tracks.After several seconds, she slowly responded, "What… what did you just say?"

"You heard me.How would you like your son back, little Washu?"

"How dare you come in here and ask me a question like that!I…"

"You did love your son, didn't you?"

"…Of course I did!He… I…"

"So if you love him so much, why don't you want to see him again?"

"What?What are you...?Hold on!I haven't even…"

Washu now found herself under a spotlight, while the man in black was circling her, fading in and out.Washu, not quite knowing what to do, stood in the light, trying to keep her composure.

"I guess I'll be fair, since you've been such a good sport so far.I am Mr. Monis, you're new best friend.I've come to offer you something, little Washu.I'm here to offer you something that no one else can, and all you have to do is answer my questions."

"Why should I?I can get whatever I want.I don't need some trickster to get it for me, thank you very much."

"Oh really?And I suppose you accomplish this with all your so-called science?"

"Of course!Science is the alchemy of the educated, after all.There's nothing in this universe that science cannot give me!"

"What about your son?"

"My… son?"

"Tell me professor, do you love your son?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then… why did you let him go?"

"What?What are you talking about?"

"Your son.He's not with you anymore, is he?"

"No… he…"

"He was taken from you, wasn't he?"

"He… yes… yes he was…"

"Why was he taken from you?"

"I… I don't… my husband was... he was a member of high society.They didn't approve…"

"Of you?"

"Yes…They… they didn't approve that I wasn't from a noble family.They took him away while I was gone, my husband…"

"So you let them go?"

"Are you nuts?Of course not!Why would I let the most important thing in the world to me simply vanish?"

"But you did.You let them both vanish, didn't you, little Washu?"

"No!I did everything I could!Everything in my power to…"

"To what?To find them?To get them back?Tell me professor, how does the universe's greatest scientific mind not locate her own husband and child when they're both not 500 miles from where she lived?"

Washu froze.Memories that had been long forgotten started to claw their way up from the recesses of her mind, like a thousand screaming demons that just wouldn't go away.

"That's… that's not true…"

"Oh, but it is.They hadn't even left the planet, yet you never made contact once.Why?"

"I… there were… there were complications…"

"No they're weren't."

"I…"

"You could have found them any time you wanted, couldn't you have?"

"I…"

"In fact, you did find them, didn't you?"

"No I… I"

"But you never went to them, never asked your husband why."

"No… no I didn't…"

"Because you were scared, weren't you?You were scared of the answer he'd give you, so you ran away."

"No.No I didn't, I… I…"

"You hid from the truth, didn't you professor?You hid from the truth…"

"No…"

"You hid from the world…"

"No I…"

"And in the end, you hid from yourself."

"…"

"What was the truth, little Washu?"

"…"

"What were you hiding from?"

"…"

"WHAT WERE YOU HIDING FROM?"

By now, Washu was on her knees, the tears flowing down her cheeks.Without looking up, she answered.

"I… was hiding from the truth."

"What was the truth, Washu?"

"He didn't want to… to be associated with me."

"Why not, little Washu?"

"When we had the baby… he thought… he… he always thought that if he had to, that if the pressure got to be too much from his family that he could just divorce me, that he could just walk away… but the baby changed that."

"How did it change, little Washu?"

"He was trapped.His family didn't want any… any 'bastard' heirs roaming the universe if he had to leave me.They were scared their fortune would be at risk.So they just did what they thought was… was right."

"And what was that?What was considered so 'right'?"

"They… they took him away."

When she finished, Washu's voice was just above a whisper.The white-hot spotlight above her was now at a dim glow, casting her in a thick, oily yellow.The Ronoken, who until then had been consumed in shadow, was now illuminated not a meter from her.When he spoke, his voice was no longer harsh and accusing, but rather soft and somewhat soothing.

"That was such a shame, all that pain, all that suffering for one so young.No matter how smart or gifted you may be, in the end there was nothing you could do.Your life was taken from you… but now, now you have a second chance."

"…"

"I came here because I know how painful the last 20,000 years have been for you, little Washu.I know how you cried when your children were ripped from you, one by one.I know all the pain and frustration this world has caused you, so I'm here to give you a choice, my dear little scientist."

"… Go on…"

"No amount of science can give you back your firstborn, but I… I can go beyond such trivial barriers as 'science.I can grant you the one wish you've always wanted, your hearts most burning desire.I can give you back your son, Washu.I can give him to you right here and now, happy and healthy, just as bouncy as you remember him."

Washu shuddered uncontrollably as images of her child raced through her mind once again.A tiny round face and two cheerful eyes that she had tried so hard to forget were now there, glaring in her mind's eye, screaming to be released.Washu felt as if she were falling, the possibilities rushing past her at a mile a minute.So many lost centuries were only now catching up to her.So many nightmares she had forgotten, now vividly remembered.

"You… You can do this for me?You can make it right?"

"Yes my little Washu.I can do this and so much more.Never again will you cry through the night, alone in your silent self-inflicted prison.Never again will you awake screaming in terror of the past that might have been, the past that led to this, all of this.I can make it better Washu.I can make your wish, your dream come true, and all for a simple 'yes'."

Her mouth opened, her lips quivering, trying to force out a word.As the Ronoken leaned closer, a smile like that of a hungry predator's crossed his lips.

'Finally!Just say it and all this will be done with!'

"..ugh.."

"Come on…"

"Uerrgghh.."

"Tell me.."

"….NO!"

The force of her scream was enough to push the jinn back.When he regained his balance, he noticed the small scientist standing, glaring at him with a look of pure rage.

"How.Dare.You.How DARE you come in here and try to force this upon me.You want to know how I feel?You want to know if I want my child back?If I could have changed the past?I'LL TELL YOU: every second of EVERY DAY I WISH THAT!There is NOTHING I wouldn't give to go back and fix things, to get the chance to do what is right!"

By now Washu was advancing on the demon, who at this point found himself slowly backing towards the door.Before he could interject, Washu cut him off as a slight wisp of ozone seemed to emanate from the enraged scientist.

"I have that power!Why do you think I built that damn dimensional portal, or that damn time machine in the first place?Yeah I've thought about fixing it, I've thought about changing things so that everything would have worked out all right, but do you know why I've never used those devices?Why I've never gone ahead with it?I'll tell you.Because my past, no matter how bad or how horrible it may seem, is the result of MY actions and MY choices!If I started to change every little thing that ever went wrong in my life, where would that leave me?What kind of person would I be if I never made any mistakes, or never had any hardships in my life?Where would that leave me?

"Yes I lost my family all those years ago, but you listen here, demon!I have a new family now, one that loves me for who I am, and respects me for what I have inside me!I have friends here, people who love me and I love them!This is my home now!This is my family, and damn you, no matter how tempting it may be to have my son…I'd…I'd… I'D NEVER TRADE WHAT I HAVE NOW FOR WHAT I COULD HAVE HAD THEN!Now… GET OUT!"

In the blink of an eye, Washu formed and brought her energy saber forward…

…Slicing through nothing more than thin air.

She stood there for what felt like ages, frozen in place with a look on her face that would make the darkest devils of hell cringe with fear. Then, without a word, she dissolved her sword, dropped to her knees and cried uncontrollably.

Around her, the familiar lights and sounds of her laboratory once again came to life. 

*** 

"So let me get this straight, you dreamed a boy in a black suit came to visit you, helped you with your cooking, played video games with you, kissed you and caused you to pass out in the living room."

Sasami nodded as Tenchi tried for the second time to absorb what Sasami had said.After thinking it over, Tenchi put his hand on Sasami's forehead to see if she had a fever.

"Tenchi cut it out!I told you I feel fine, I just… I was just so sure it was real, you know?It didn't feel at all like a dream…"

Tenchi shrugged and gave the princess a smile."Well, don't worry too much about it.If it was a dream, then everything's fine.If it wasn't, then maybe someone's got a crush on you, Sasami."

Sasami responded by turning several shades of crimson."Tenchi knock it off!You shouldn't say such things, you know…"

Tenchi shrugged, then once again went to the fridge for something to drink.After several moments, he pulled out a pitcher filled with brown liquid.

"Um, Sasami?What's this?"

"Oh, that's some tea I made.Try it!"

Tenchi's gag reflex took over as he tried to set the pitcher down without dropping it.

"You refrigerated the tea?!Sasami are you sure you're not feeling bad?"

Sasami giggled and got a glass from the cupboard and set it in front of the still cringing prince. 

"Silly.This is called Iced Tea.I got it at the store.Apparently the Americans like to drink it a whole lot."

"Heh, figures they'd come up with something that crazy… Umm… Sasami I think I'll pass on the tea for now and go take a bath Ill see you at dinner okay bye."

Sasami was about to reply, but where Tenchi had been sitting a mere second before, now only air remained.Sasami sighed and put her 'tea' back in the fridge.

"For a prince he sure can run fast."

*** 

Tenchi sat in the floating onsen, thinking about his day and what Sasami had told him.At first he had dismissed Sasami's story as the result of too much sneaking into the Shoujo Manga in the attic, but the more Tenchi thought about it, the more her story started to unsettle him.As he sat soaking in the warm water, he asked questions to no one in particular.

"A man in a black suit… I wonder, could Sasami have dreamed of the same man that I did? Was that a dream?What happened out there today?Ahh well, I suppose this is just one of those every day odd occurrences I should have learned to expect around here.Maybe Washu was fiddling with a new dream toy or something…I don't know…"

As Tenchi went back to silently soaking, he didn't notice a tiny black dot through the onsen's glass dome, shooting silently into the heavens.

*** 

On the other end of the universe, Tsunami, the Ship of the Beginning and gardener extraordinaire cursed as she wandered through the magnificent forest that was herself. 

"Why is this happening?I can't believe my sister would be so underhanded as to send a jinn to try and destroy those I love so dearly.Ohh, if only there was something I could do without breaking the rules of engagement…"

Tsunami strolled throughout the garden, absently taking note of her young as she walked.As she reached the upper levels of her nursery, she noticed several children playing around her own.Tsunami smiled, once again thankful that the Emperor had opened the gardens for all the public to enjoy.It had taken a bit of mental manipulation on her part, but Auzua had relented in the end.It may not have been the wisest thing to do militarily speaking, but for Tsunami the sounds of happy conversation and laughing children that wandered through her gardens gave her peace of mind.

"It's good to see that someone's having a carefree day, isn't it Achika?"

The tree next to Tsunami gave an affirmative through its many streams of light.Tsunami stood in silence, watching the children run here and there, playing hide and seek in the massive hall that made up her nursery.As they ran and played, one of the children, a little boy, happened to notice the pretty young woman standing next to a tree, just out of their way.

"Good afternoon!The trees are really beautiful today, don't you think?"

"Why yes, yes I believe they are."

The boy ran over to where the young blue-haired woman was standing, bowing as he came to a stop before her."Miss?Can I ask you a question?"

"Why certainly," Tsunami said as she kneeled to address the child.

"Who takes care of all these trees?They always look so pretty and well kept, and my friends and I were wondering.Do you know?"

Tsunami nodded and said, "Why yes I do.These trees are my responsibility."

The child's smile grew bigger as he bowed again."They're very pretty.Thank you very much for taking care of them, they really look nice."

Tsunami laughed and bowed her head."Well thank you for coming her to play and enjoy them!It's always nice to have company.Speaking of which, I think your friends are looking for you…"

The boy grinned, bowed and with a quick goodbye/thank you was back to playing with his friends.As she watched him leave, the tree beside her gave of several more shafts of light.

"Yes, I believe you're right.I have faith in my chosen, and as long as Sasami and the others have faith in themselves, they can get through this, but I swear, if he oversteps his boundaries even once, then no force in this universe, not even my sister, will be able to stop me."

The tree lit up in agreement.Tsunami turned her attention back to the playing children, this time wearing only a face of concern.

"I swear, no force in this universe…"

*** 

In the endless subspace that was known as Washu's laboratory, the lights, sounds, machines and gadgets were operating at a quiet hum.All lighting in the lab had been either turned down or off, once again immersing the chamber in darkness, but unlike the last time, this dark was filled with tiny blinking lights, each shattering the memory of what had been there only a little while earlier.

In the center of all this pleasant darkness, one solitary figure sat, drenched in the blue light of an oversized computer screen.As the words on the screen silently rolled by, the woman sitting before them was shaking.With her head buried in her arms, she leaned on the vast control panel in front of her, silently sobbing as she had done so many times before.On the screen in front of her, a simple message repeated itself over and over.

SCIENCE ACADEMY GENETIC LEGACY LOG

SUBJECT: KENJI HAKUBI

BORN:5/7/20980

DIED:3/16/20982

AGE:2

LIVING RELATIVES: NONE

*** 

Author's notes:

Tired.I had to force parts of this fic and it probably showed.Ahh well….sleep…

Tenchi and Co belong to AIC, TV Tokyo and Pioneer

All C&C Should go to BGlanders@aol.com


	4. One Simple Reason

Patience. When dealing with beings that demand nothing in the way of personal wealth or material possessions, it quickly becomes the coin of the realm. Patience can be traded, patience can be earned and as the Ronoken was quickly finding out, patience can also be spent.  
  
"I thought you said I would have my Avatar within a days time. I thought you promised me you could deliver. I thought... that you were the best." The being speaking wasn't completely visible; the Ronoken could only at best make out a floating red gem and the eyes- the cold, emotionless green eyes he had begun to dread in recent days, that floated behind it. However, the Ronoken didn't need to see his addresser's full form to know who she was, and more importantly why she was so upset.   
  
Again, the Ronoken's ears were covered by the woman's steady, syrupy voice. It seemed to pour form the nothingness around him and encase him in its thick, sweetened words. It was all the Ronoken could do not to gasp for air, assuming that there was any air to gasp for.  
  
"Was I wrong to place my faith in you, Ronoken? Child of the Scales, your brothers have served I and the other Keepers of the Plains for thousands of years. I had assumed that you were the same. I had assumed that you would do your best to bring my plans to fruition, unlike so many others that have fallen before you... Tell me child, was I mistaken?"  
  
He 'stood' unmoving in the cold vacuum of space, forcing himself to radiate complete calm and confidence. Inwardly however he found himself wincing at the Lady's accusations. She was saying he wasn't as good as his coworkers, she was implying that he was incompetent in his duties, and most of all she was accusing him of false advertisement. If it was patience that she was trying to extract from him she had succeeded, because he was just about out.  
  
"My Lady with all due respect, a professional cannot achieve one's goals without the necessary information. You asked for an Avatar, but you neglected to inform me that not only are each of these targets not... conventionally normal, but one of them just so happens to be a Goddess of the Multiverse. Had I been informed of such trivial details, then I can assure you you're precious Avatar would have been hand delivered by now... my Lady."  
  
While still appearing cool and confident, inwardly the Ronoken was now terrified. In the 20,000 years he had been self-employed, he had NEVER belittled one of his clients this badly. Granted, this was hardly what anyone would consider belittling, but when you consider the fact that your clientele can vaporize you on the grounds that they were dissatisfied with your services, one tends to become awfully polite awfully fast.   
  
"Hmmm, maybe I'm hearing things, but that sounded like an excuse, Ronoken." This time the Ronoken visibly cringed. He knew she was right, and that had he not been distracted this would all have been finished by now. After swallowing his pride, the now-defeated Jinn merely bowed and said, "Forgive me my Lady. It won't happen again, of that you can be sure."  
  
The visage before him seemed to glare for a moment, then replied, "See that it won't. You have 24 earth hours, Ronoken. If my wishes are not granted by then, I will be forced to... replace you."  
  
"I understand my Lady. I guarantee you it will not come to that."  
  
Again, the phantasm seemed to regard the demon floating before it. "See that it doesn't." It whispered across the airless winds of space. The Ronoken continued to bow until a familiar shiver coursed through his body. When he finally looked up, the Lady was gone. Almost immediately, his characteristically emotionless features flooded with rage.   
  
'That bitch,' he thought to himself, careful not to speak out loud, lest she hear him. 'I'm damn lucky to be alive after facing both Washu AND Tsunami, and all she can do is criticize me? Well, at least I have 24 hours. Far more time than I need.' The Ronoken straightened his red power tie, and then turned his attention once again to the now all too familiar orb of shimmering blue below him.   
  
With a thought, the floating man in space vanished without a trace. The feeling that someone was still watching however hung on for quite some time.  
  
***   
  
BGlanders presents...  
  
The Devil and Mr. Masaki  
  
Chapter 4: One Simple Reason  
  
Note: It really helps if you're familiar with K'thardin's side chapter  
  
***   
  
It had, without question, been one of the strangest shopping experiences of her life. Not only had the mall she was in been destroyed (not to mention over half of downtown), not only was she suffering from a massive hangover, but that...that outfit Aeka had been wearing...  
  
"Ojousama to Oyoubi... heh... it's gonna be a cold day in hell before I let her live that one down... heh heh..."  
  
While thoughts of teasing her rival and sometimes friend were tempting, her mind and body were pretty well set on shutting down completely for the night. She had already shared a mercifully silent bath with the princess, Mihoshi and Kyione after they had managed to pick themselves up off of the floor earlier on. They had each come to an unsaid conclusion that the less said about what had happened at the mall, the better for everyone.   
  
With a yawn and a stretch Ryoko teleported up to her favorite rafter, foregoing her rather cramped closet of a room for her more familiar perch. After all of ten seconds, she was completely passed out, not even noticing that her mind link with Washu had been completely silent for the last hour.   
  
***   
  
From the second floor balcony a tall, rather unsettled, eerie presence silently appeared. Calmly it watched as its next victim slept soundly, a wicked-looking smile forming on the things lips. Its hands, once slightly shaking, now rested calmly on the lapels of its suit coat jacket.  
  
'Excellent. She's so wrapped up in her love for the boy that she'll say yes to anything. I can just see it now...'  
  
***   
  
"Ryoko? Ryoko, please wake up..."   
  
Ryoko slowly stirred to the sound of a very familiar, and very welcome, male voice whispering in her ear. Slowly her eyes fluttered open to the image of Tenchi's face hovering a few scant inches from her own.   
  
"Tenchi... what are you doing? It's late...err...early I mean...."  
  
"Hush now, my darling. I don't care what time it is."  
  
Ryoko shrugged and sleepily tossed her blanket aside. "Whatever you say Te...."  
  
Waitaminute  
  
"Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, her eyes now the size of saucers, "di..di...did you just call me....'darling'?"  
  
Tenchi leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Ryoko's waist. She wasn't quite sure how or when in happened, but she and Tenchi were suddenly standing outside underneath Funaho. Quite honestly though, she didn't care in the slightest about the rather drastic scene change.   
  
"Of course I called you darling. What else would I call you?"  
  
This was a dream, this HAD to be a dream...  
  
"Ryoko there's something I have to tell you... Something I should have told you a long, long time ago."  
  
Who cares if it's a dream! Death to that purple-haired bitch if she woke her up now!  
  
"Yes, Tenchi?" Ryoko's voice wavered; her heart was beating a mile a minute. Were those cherubs flying around his head?  
  
"Ryoko... I love you. I love only you. I have loved you since I met you and I will love you forever. My heart is yours...just promise you'll be gentle with me."  
  
Oh yeah, those were cherubs. Fireworks too. This man of hers certainly knew how to admit his pent up feelings with style.  
  
"Oh Tenchi, I love you too! But... what about Aeka?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
That was all it took. Ryoko was smothering him with kisses before he could even blink, let alone respond."  
  
"Oh Tenchi, you've made me so happy! Oh I love you I love you I love you!"  
  
Somewhere in-between kisses, Tenchi managed to catch his breath and gently push Ryoko away. Ryoko tilted her head quizzically as Tenchi did his soulful best to gaze deep into her amber eyes. Then without warning, Tenchi kneeled before Ryoko, taking her hand in his.  
  
"Ryoko... would you marry me?"  
  
Ryoko was so shocked that all she could do was nod mutely at first. Then Tenchi slipped the ring on her finger, a ring so heavy even SHE had trouble lifting her hand up.   
  
At this point, the muteness stopped.  
  
"YES! YES I'LL MARRY YOU!" As Ryoko glomped Tenchi on the cool grass below, fireworks could be seen going off over Masaki Lake. The cherubs now tossing confetti over the quickly disrobing couple as the scene slowly faded to black.  
  
***   
  
By now, the figure in the black suit was wringing his hands as his mental interlude started to fade out.  
  
"Yesssss.... That will be perfect! Why didn't I think of this before? She's so incredibly love sick for this fool boy she'll agree to anything without question! It's so obvious I'm mad I didn't go for her first. I mean, she just begging for him to..."  
  
"Tenchi, is that you?"  
  
With a mental curse, the Ronoken transformed and spun around just in time to see Sasami sleepily walking out of her room. A Ryo-Ohki doll was clutched under her left arm as she tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes. By the time she got a good look at who was there, all she saw was a nervous ten-year old boy staring back at her.  
  
"Oh Monis, its you! I thought I heard someone talking, so I came out here to see who was up so late. What happened to you today?"  
  
Monis, a.k.a. the Ronoken nervously shifted his feet as he turned to his lightning fast con artist skills for an answer.  
  
"Well...umm.... I was...errr...I mean.... You were pretty tired after playing video games and fell asleep. I didn't want to wake you, so I let myself out. You don't mind, do you?"  
  
Sasami giggled and smiled back at the obviously nervous boy. "That's okay. I'm sorry I fell asleep like that. I guess I didn't realize how tired I really was. Thanks for understanding, that was really sweet of you."  
  
"Ummm... no problem." Damn it, why was his face suddenly so hot? It wasn't THAT warm in here, was it?  
  
"So what are you doing here? It's pretty late, you know..."  
  
Oh damn. Think brain, think!  
  
"I....umm...you're grandpa told me I could stay for the night! I was...err...I was just looking for the bathroom."  
  
"Oh," Sasami seemed satisfied with that answer. For a moment Monis relaxed, thinking that he was in the clear. That moment lasted for all of three seconds as Sasami took a step towards him, her eyes locked on his.  
  
"Say, I never got to say thank you for helping me do the dishes today."  
  
The Ronoken sweat dropped slightly as Sasami took another step towards him. Slowly he started to back away from this constantly chipper grinning machine.  
  
"That's quite alright. Actually I was just on my way to..."  
  
"Say, I was gonna make a midnight snack for myself anyway... I could throw something together for you, if you like."  
  
The Ronoken paused, rather thrown by the sudden turn in conversation. Suddenly he found himself locked in a mental debate with over what to do next.  
  
'What are you doing? Just knock her out, get that other girls soul and get the hell out of here!'  
  
'But... she's offering us food. When's the last time we actually had anything to eat?'  
  
'We don't need to eat. We're/I'm/you're a demon, for L-Sama's sake! Food is not something we need to survive!'  
  
'Yeah, but... it still tastes really good. We haven't had anything to eat in years! And besides, she's really cute...'  
  
'Have you forgotten we fail in the next 24 hours Lady Tokimi is gonna blast me...err...you...US into the next dimension?'  
  
'But we've got 24 whole hours and this next gal is gonna be a walk in the park!'  
  
'Okay, what about the fact that this little mortal here is a friggin' GODDESS? The fact that she'll VAPORIZE US if we look at this girl the wrong way doesn't bother you?'  
  
'Yeah, but you heard Tsunami... she can't do anything unless we directly hurt this little girl, and I don't see how eating a ham sandwich is going to cripple her.'  
  
'Yes, but.... Hey wait.'  
  
"Um, Sasami? What kind of snacks do you have?"  
  
Sasami stared for a second, wondering why her friend had been standing completely still and mumbling to himself for the last several moments. Once she realized he was done, she smiled and responded.  
  
"Anything you want, Monis! We've got cookies, cake, peanut butter and jelly, some ramen if worse comes to worse... are you hungry at all?"  
  
'...The cyan girl can wait a few seconds'  
  
'But a moment ago you were hell-bent on finishing this job up fast. Are you sure..?'  
  
'I am curious as to these 'cookies' the girl speaks of.'  
  
'Yeah, but...'  
  
'Cookies!'  
  
'...Right then.'  
  
"Lead the way, Sasami!" Monis said happily, a sweat-drop now very noticeable beside his head.  
  
***   
  
As Sasami rooted through the fridge, Monis glanced around the kitchen, idly taking in the sights and sounds of a quiet summer night in the house of a mortal. The back door was open, allowing for the summer air to once again waft through the screen door and into the house.  
  
"Say Sasami, don't you and your family have air conditioning? This has got to be murder on your electric bill..."  
  
"Nope!" Came the chipper reply from somewhere within the icy bowels of the fridge. "Father designed this house with an Old Victorian style in mind. That way, if you keep the windows open in the summer it's always able to catch a breeze, no matter which way it's blowing from. That way it's always cool in here."  
  
"...I see." Ah yes, the father figure of the household. Had he been around yesterday this whole mess wouldn't have occurred. He would have been the perfect candidate for a wish, the Ronoken thought to himself.  
  
"Say, where is the father of the house? I haven't seen him around since I got here..."  
  
Sasami emerged from the fridge carrying a half-gallon of milk in one hand and a plate of saran-wrapped chocolate chip cookies in the other. "Oh, he had to stay overnight at the office to finish out some emergency project. I think Tenchi said that father was working on designing a new mall for downtown Tokyo, or something like that."  
  
"I see..." The Ronoken continued to glance around, staring at the sink as he did so. He noted that quite a few dishes had piled up since he and Sasami had washed them that afternoon.  
  
"Sasami, are those not the dishes we had washed earlier on?" The Ronoken asked, pointing at the rather large pile now sitting on the countertop.  
  
"Yeah, I cooked a really big dinner tonight, so there were a lot of dishes left over."  
  
The Ronoken turned his attention Sasami, who was sitting down across from him at the kitchen table and unwrapping the plate of cookies in her hand.  
  
"So you did all the cooking?"  
  
"Yep!" Sasami beamed, happy that someone had taken an interest in her cooking.  
  
"And now you're stuck washing all of the dishes?"  
  
Sasami sweat-dropped slightly, her cheery smile never leaving her face. "Well... aside from grandfather, I'm the only one here who can really cook. And as far as washing dishes goes... if I let the others do it, we probably wouldn't have very many dishes left over."  
  
"But still," Monis began as Sasami poured two glasses of milk, "you're telling me that you cook every single meal in this house, and that you clean up after everyone when they're done every single day?"  
  
Sasami nodded, a small sigh escaping her lips. "It gets frustrating sometimes, but they have their own jobs around the house. This is my way of helping out around here, and besides they always praise me for my efforts."  
  
"Hmm... it just doesn't seem right, is all." Monis sighed, half put out by the situation Sasami was in and half angered that all of his hard work that afternoon had been so quickly messed up, but considering how the day had gone, it really wasn't that big of a surprise.  
  
Sasami smiled warmly at her new friend as he stared intently at the pile of dirty dishes from that night's feast. Sasami really had gone all out with her cooking, and it was really nice to see someone care that much about what she was doing. Oh sure, everyone in the house had praised her as usual, but it was nice to see that someone took a genuine interest in her efforts.   
  
Sasami suddenly snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that Monis was now staring at her. Blushing slightly, Sasami turned her attention to the plate of cookies between him and herself  
  
"Well thank you Monis, it's really kind of you to take an interest in what I do. I know the others around here care, but it's still nice to hear it from someone, you know? It just feels good to know your work is appreciated."  
  
"Indeed it does, Sasami. Indeed it does." The Ronoken smiled a genuine smile at this. It was the first time anyone had actually ever seemed to understand what it felt like to keep up with an endless task. Slowly, the Ronoken found his face getting warmer again.  
  
Stupid air-conditionless house.  
  
"So even though you don't always get the appreciation you deserve, you keep cleaning and cooking for these people? Why? Why do something so selfless for them when you know you're getting next to nothing in return?"  
  
Sasami's smile turned a bit softer as her voice grew quieter.  
  
"For one simple reason, Monis."  
  
"That being?"  
  
"Because I love them."  
  
"...Oh." That was the answer he should have expected, but it still came as a surprise. He knew well enough about love. He had used it to his advantage hundreds of times in the past. People, he had learned, were willing to do quite a few foolish things for love. He had seen people steal, cheat, perform mind-numbing acts of self-sacrifice and even start wars over this thing called love. While the Ronoken knew well and good how to manipulate love to his advantages he suddenly found himself realizing one simple thing.  
  
He had used love for years, but he had never quite known just what it was.  
  
The Ronoken never liked to admit that he didn't understand something. After all, he who has knowledge always has an advantage, but still... just what exactly was this stupid little emotion anyways?   
  
"So, would you like a cookie?"  
  
The Ronoken, now trying to focus on something other than love, cosmic mysteries and the girl across the table, turned his attention to the plate of disc-shaped dough lumps in front of him.  
  
"Umm...sure, I guess."  
  
Slowly he reached out, selecting the nearest one to him. Cautiously he lifted it up, testing its texture with his fingers. While he did technically know what food was, it had been several hundred years since his last meal. On top of that, he had no clue as to what a 'cookie' really consisted of.   
  
Ever so slowly he brought the dough disc to his mouth. While happy that he was getting to enjoy a meal for the first time in decades, he still wasn't too sure about these so-called cookies. What if they were horrible? What if they were rotten? What if they were poisoned by Tsunami in an elaborate plan to incapacitate him for twenty-four hours so as to have him killed off by Tokimi? What if...  
  
The Ronoken glanced at Sasami, who was watching him with a tinge of fear in her bright, pink eyes.  
  
What if these were prepared by one of the best damn cooks in Japan?  
  
Without further delay, the Ronoken shoved the cookie into his mouth.  
  
***   
  
"Dear Tsunami, please just let me die now."  
  
Aeka, first princess of the Jurain Royal family and heir to the throne lay tossing and turning on her futon, her covers half kicked off by her own tussling. Grimly she noted that the glowing red digital numbers on her clock face read 1:16 in the morning, and here she was still awake.  
  
"This is all Ryoko's fault! If I hadn't...err...if she hadn't...umm...all right, it was that blonde guy's fault the mall blew up, but still! All I wanted was to do something for Tenchi. I just wanted to do something that didn't involve Ryoko. Just once! I know she means well, but we always end up botching everything we do for him, and then he just gets mad at us. Oh, why won't this damn headache go away?"  
  
While Aeka tended to the dull, throbbing pain in her skull she let her thoughts drift back to the last time they had tried to buy a Christmas present for Tenchi. That time they had decided to get him something together, so as neither one could upstage the other. At first it had seemed like a good idea, in fact they had even spent several hours trying to find something they could both agree on. Then they had decided to stop at the bar and grab a quick drink before setting out again.  
  
Not thirty minutes later the shopping mall exploded.  
  
"It's just not fair! This time it wasn't even our fault! Oh why can't these things work out for me just once? Just once, I want Tenchi to see all of the hard work I've put into winning his love, just once! Oh Tenchi, why can't you understand how much I care for you? How ....how much we both care for you? Tenchi..."  
  
As her light sobbing echoed throughout her room, the princess Aeka tried her best to calm herself and get back to sleep. Unfortunately, her tears refused to stop for quite a while.  
  
***   
  
"Hmmm..."  
  
The Ronoken sat, his mouth filled with cookie mush. While the Princess's pleas might have been meant for her walls alone, they did not go unnoticed by a certain demon sitting in the kitchen.   
  
'Yes! If all else fails this Princess has left the door wide open for me. In fact, she might even be easier to trick than my previous choice. Now the only question is which to pick... hmmm...eeine meeine... Oh!'  
  
With almost an afterthought, he looked to Sasami and said, "These are delicious! Thank you, Sasami."  
  
The young princess suddenly let out a huge sigh and said, "thank you!"  
  
'Hmm, she was holding her breath. Was she that nervous I wouldn't like these....these cookies she prepared?'  
  
Without another word, Monis grabbed three more cookies and shoved them in his mouth, his jaw trying to chew them as fast as it could.  
  
Sasami sat back with a single cookie in hand, her eyes wide. "Wow Monis, I guess you were really hungry!"  
  
The Ronoken paused, half of a cookie hanging out of his mouth. "umm ymmh. Mmms mmre mmmem mmmd."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Quick, something to drink! Fortunately, there was that 'milk' that the girl had poured earlier. The Ronoken thought he vaguely remembered milk and that it wasn't toxic. Satisfied, he tried his best to get some into his overly full mouth.  
  
While the Ronoken tried to keep himself from choking, Sasami stifled a giggle and headed over to the counter to grab a paper towel. She had only seen one other creature alive eat that fast, but that was their star ship, and these were cookies, not carrots.  
  
"Here you go," she said, offering a paper towel to the Ronoken. "You know, you should really slow down. You could choke if you eat that fast."  
  
Sheepishly, the Ronoken grinned at her and mumbled, "Yeah, you're probably right." Now that the last of the cookies were down, the Ronoken went for another sip of milk, casually glancing at his glass as he did so.  
  
The angry face of Tsunami glared back up at him.  
  
Sasami let out a small yelp as the Ronoken suddenly spit his milk out onto the kitchen table.   
  
"Umm... sorry about that," he mumbled as he quickly started to clean up his mess. Sasami just stared for a moment, and then started giggling. The Ronoken stopped his frantic cleaning and watched her as she began to laugh whole-heartedly. After a few seconds he looked at himself, the table and the laughing girl in front of him.  
  
'Why not?'  
  
Sasami laughed even harder as her new friend joined in, not caring about the mess he had made of his suit or the table.  
  
***   
  
Sitting in the depths of the Royal Gardens, Tsunami watched as her charge, second self, near sister and link to the outside world laughed hysterically with one of the most feared demons in the known Multiverse over some spilled milk.  
  
She had tried to warn Sasami of the danger this creature represented through a dream, but Sasami had woken up too early for the entire message to play out. Now all Tsunami could do was watch as her Sasami had milk and cookies with the terror of a thousand worlds.  
  
Sighing, she tried to calm her nerves and focus on the facts at hand. First off, it the creature knew that if it hurt Sasami it was dead where it stood. Secondly, it actually seemed to like spending time with her, otherwise it would have simply put her to sleep again. Tsunami took all of this in and wondered for a brief second why this demon would go through all of this trouble. Then it hit her; it was trying to gain her trust.  
  
That was it! That had to be it! It had devised some fiendish scheme for gaining Sasami's confidence, and just when the little princess was at her most vulnerable... Tsunami shivered at the thought. What could this monster be planning with HER Sasami? Obviously one warning hadn't been enough. Tsunami thought her silent second warning in its glass of milk would have done the job, but...  
  
Hmm, come to think of it that was pretty funny...  
  
Tsunami shook her head and sighed again, not knowing what the future would bring, or what dangers lie in store for her Sasami. All she could do was sit, and wait, and watch.  
  
That's what she always did, wasn't it?  
  
***   
  
An hour had passed, and Sasami had long since gone to sleep.  
  
The young girl had stayed up talking with him for nearly thirty minutes before sleep overtook her and she headed off to bed. Even though she was tired, she refused to let him help clean up the mess of milk droplets and cookie crumbs they had left scattered across the table. After everything was in order Sasami had bid him goodnight and quietly climbed the stairs to her room, leaving the Ronoken to his thoughts.  
  
"Well, that was interesting. I wonder if Tsunami purposefully meant for me to spit my milk out on the mortal's table just so I would embarrass myself? She probably did, that overprotective fern."  
  
The Ronoken paused, suddenly realizing what he was saying.  
  
"What is wrong with me? I've been letting myself get distracted by these pathetic little mortals for far too long! No more will I play their little games! No more will I be a slave to their puny, emotion-ridden little minds! No, for I am the Ronoken! I'm responsible for more pain and suffering than anyone else I can possibly think of, and that's saying quite a lot! Ahh well, all is well now. Now that the little one is out of the way, I can resume my task of taking a soul for the master...but...which one?"  
  
As the Ronoken pondered this, he silently teleported out of the kitchen in search of his prey. Strangely enough, it never occurred to him once to change back to his adult form after Sasami had left. However, this could be attributed to the fact that he had been quite busy.  
  
There were an awful lot of dishes left over, after all.  
  
***   
  
Hiya folks!  
  
No, I am not dead nor am I retired, just swamped with real life. For a while things were looking pretty overwhelming, but now school is out, jobs and organizations are going well and I've found my muse once again. Yes, all is well in the world.  
  
Tenchi and Co. belong to AIC, TV Tokyo, Pioneer and now, God help us, the WB.  
  
L-Sama is from Slayers. She's just too cool not to have as an overall demon lord.  
  
The Ronoken is my own heavily inflated original character. Mine!  
  
Please send any and all C&C to BGlanders@aol.com  



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